Warning:The following video is really gross. Definitely NSWE (not safe while eating). But I made the mistake of watching it, and now I want to know what in the world it could be showing.

What happens is that you see a man's face getting scrubbed with a piece of cotton. And then tiny worms begin to ooze out of the man's pores.

The most sensible theory to be found in the YouTube comments (which I don't recommend reading) is that the video shows some kind of pseudo-medical treatment (for what, I can't imagine), in which worm eggs are smeared on the man's face with the cotton, and then the worms seem to emerge from the guy's skin. Sounds plausible. Any other theories?

Some kind of bizzare exfoliation treatment? Or maybe to remove all that acne scarring. And goodness knows what's smeared on the guy's face at the start there.

Posted by Smerk in to mischief on Thu Sep 06, 2007 at 08:25 AM

Damn it Alex. After you said not to I just had to go read the comments. I feel like I just wasted a whole minute of my life and now I hate the whole human race.

Posted by Razela in Chicago, IL on Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 01:22 AM

These are two different men being treated for parasites of some sort. Whatever is being swabbed onto their skin is causing the "worms" to exit. There are instances of consuming parasite contaminated fish and becoming infested with worms.

Posted by Sueb on Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 01:35 AM

There is a type of 'fireworm' that lives in africa, that finds hosts in people because of the water they drink. Im guessing, he found treatment because he was in pain. Bot flies come to the surface because of lack of oxygen, maybe thats what the swab was doing, covering the pores on the guys skin so they'd come to the surface. I say its a real parasite, and the guy's unfortunate. Let's just wait until someone knows what they're called.

Posted by lameAim in Texas on Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 05:26 AM

I don't think is using 'normal cutton with chemical'. Anyone can try with cockroaches and you will get this result.

It's told that the cockroaches would force the parasit out from the face, and I doubted it. I did the similiar way back to more than ten years ago.

Posted by BuSyCz in Malaysia on Fri Sep 07, 2007 at 06:02 AM

its actual worms coming out of the pours. the doctor? probably used a strong lotion with alcohol or some acid to force the worms to the surface. this is just not an asian thing. just look at anyone you know with severe acne and they most likely have worms in the skin and inside the body.

Dr Phineaus Q. Glowpipe Jr.

Posted by glowpipe in wisconsin on Sat Sep 08, 2007 at 12:03 AM

I dont know what it is called, but I have read many articles about these. Its some sort of disease that has been popping up in the south Texas/Mexican boarder over the last 3-4 years. The really nasty thing is that you cant pull them out! Here is another one to look up that is coming from the same area... cysticercosis BRAIN WORMS!

Posted by Robert Brewington` in Scarborough UK on Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 06:47 PM

they're worms from eating raw unfrozen/uncooked infected fish, like in sashimi. the worms themselves are anisakis or something.

Posted by tiger on Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 01:54 AM

Well i think that there litle zits, Well put it in this way, if you put a hair in warm water for several week =s it becomes a living thing. Same thing but as soon as you touch the acne it dies. Ex if you blow bubles and touch one it pops this is due to bacteria, now if you put a glove and touch it it wont pop.

Posted by me in colorado on Fri Nov 16, 2007 at 01:48 AM

I have never seen more retarded comments. Ya-all
cannot be serious are ya? Buncha dumb (bang your own sister to keep your gene pool stable) fucks!!

Posted by notdumbass in USA on Fri Jan 04, 2008 at 07:49 PM

I have studied parasitology and these are Enterobius Vermicularis, or "pinworm". It is an extremely common occurrence among children in day care centers. The eggs generally go in through the mouth of the host where they hatch and continue to thrive in the large intestine. The mother comes out to lay the eggs on the host's anus, which can cause extreme itching. This man might have picked them up on his fingers, scratched his nose, and the eggs hatched right on his face due to the hot climate, and unsanitary conditions. Having this happen is extremely rare, but you can get infestations in the sinus cavities.

Posted by Zachary West in Columbus, Ohio on Tue Feb 12, 2008 at 08:25 AM

wash your hands before you eat !!

Posted by aa on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 05:53 AM

well, I did try using cockroaches (small one, with no wing), the worm did come out from my face, because at that time I was told, those worm that cause me toothache. Later when I grown up, I talk to my brother who studied biology, so he told me that actually the cockroach's butt cointains a lot of this kind of worm, that you can not see when they are wet, so when the face dry, the worm begin to appear, so that worm maybe from the cockroaches itself,

Posted by enviro on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 01:46 PM

this is actually a pretty common traditional treatment for people with sinus. this video is taped in malaysia, i would assume, since the guys were all speaking in malay (it's my mother tongue i should know). my guess is that the cotton ball that the dude rubbed on the face is soaked with some sort of herbal extract or something and that triggers those tiny worms to come out of the skin's pores.....but that's just my opinion. and no they aren't laughing at the guy in the vid. just laughing at their own lame-ass jokes lol

Posted by hat on Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 02:04 AM

A new Method to remove acne scars.

Posted by Raffaella in Italy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 05:57 AM

Unfortunately.Normal Mankind can not see Demodicids with their couple eyes.

In my idea,it should be some Anisakis

simplex.

Posted by Engineering man in Thailand on Fri May 30, 2008 at 12:27 PM

This is actually a treatment where they use the lipas tanah (earth roach), chop off the butt and squeeze the ooze on your face (usually its on ur nose) so that it heals certain illness for example the application on you nose is to cure sinus. I first heard of this at Melaka. The worms on the guys face are from the roach. This particular species actually carries worms inside its stomach. When rubbed on the guy

Posted by pain treatment in ny on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 04:42 PM

um yeah... I feel really sick right now but I really want to know more. this is so gross yet so interesting....excuse me while I go poop

Posted by ladie_isis in tampa on Thu Oct 16, 2008 at 10:04 PM

its must be propione acne bacteria,which are responsible for causing acne/pimples,will come out fr the open pores particularly in the nose area and swim through the oil all over the face.these bacteria cannot easily seen through the naked eyes otherwise the infected person will immediately try to remove them,as fast as possible.nevertheless,this is a common problem in an oily skin,which has to be addressed.the recommended routine will be to wash away the oil with the foam gel,and all bacteria on the surface skin will be removed as the bacteria on the surface skin need oil to function.the bacteria hidden in the deep recesses in the nose area,start to swim out from the open pores.As it is not practical to wash the face again and again,particularly for working executives,the xxx oil/bacteria control serum 1 and 2 have been formulated to control this problem.A concentrated formula with 20% active ingredients to control oil and remove Propione acne bacteria.

Posted by angeline ang in singapore on Sun Feb 08, 2009 at 02:54 AM

OK...WHAT ASIAN GOES TO AFRICA!!!???!!!

Posted by AntiMatter in St. Elswhere on Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 10:55 PM

this video originally from malaysia, i heared the chinese language, english, catonese language and malay langiage inside.

Posted by chtan82 in Malaysia, johor bahru city on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 12:17 PM

demodicids have no buttholes but have REALLY efficient metabolisms. they all eventually die of septic poisoning. this fact is how they can survive on our face, they are pretty non-comedigenic if you aren't already very oily.

Posted by invisiblemonki in hawaii on Thu May 14, 2009 at 07:40 PM

eewwww ssooo is that acne???? please respond to this

Posted by eewwwwww in USA on Wed Jul 08, 2009 at 05:50 PM

That's need treatment for remove that worm..

Posted by pop in Indonesia on Wed Jul 29, 2009 at 02:35 AM

One thing is for certain, you can't assume that anything anyone writes on the internet has any substance to it whatsoever. Maybe there's another thing you can be certain of - someone somewhere is going to believe something completely false and leave with crazy sheit in their head (which won't come out with roach butt swab).

Posted by certain on Fri Aug 07, 2009 at 09:37 PM

Yup, its real!

I've this done twice!

No, the cotton swab have nothing to do with the process. The person did this on me used only her bare hands and some small cockroaches.

Yes, it is somewhat plausible that the cockroach insides contain worm larvae to start with, but in my experience, it doesn't explain why only people with heavy sinusitis problems will expel more worms then the normal people. By the way, can larvae eggs be hatched just minutes after it was applied to the skin? I duno...

Posted by aku la in here on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 11:08 AM

For Anisakis, humans are a dead end host. They simply cannot survive in the human body.

Posted by The sushi Chef in japan on Mon Jan 25, 2010 at 09:40 AM

I hope this "clears" this up (no pun intended) Many of us have a common mite that lives in the follicles on our face, eyebrows, etc. For the most part they do no harm. The are extremely small and not visible by the naked eye but can be seen with a microscope. The video of the man with worms coming out of his skin are, in my opinion, fake. Here is the complete article for you to see and make up your own opinion...

A worm is called a parasite when it lives on a host, obviously not bacteria. And for the demodex... To rule this one out, yes it is definitely a parasite but not a worm.

Any other theories?

Posted by F in Philippines on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 12:44 PM

I work in the dental feild (I am not a dentist) and recently one of my patients complained of "worms" in her mouth. She went to the emergency room where she was placed under psychiatric evals, and released several hours later. She is adament that she has "white pieces" coming out of her gums, tongue and mouth. They move, and retract when vinegar is placed on them. She said she feels them moving at night. She now says they are coming out of her lips, and face. She was also referred to the Medical University and was told they have never heard anything like this. Is this a psychological issue? This woman really needs some guidance, and she does not have any clue where to start. Everywhere she has gone says they have never heard of such a thing.

If anyone has any clue as how to lead her to the right people PLEASE contact me.